Loading ...
Ten years and 17 straight losses are what the Washington Wizards have endured since their last win against the San Antonio Spurs on November 12, 2005. Last night, the Wizards finally broke the losing streak with a vengeance, pulling off a tremendous 103-99 victory over the defending NBA Champions. The last time Washington beat San Antonio, Wizards’ starting guard John Wall was just fourteen years old. Oh, how things have changed.
Having lost the last seven games to the Spurs since he was drafted first overall in 2010, Wall led the troops Tuesday night with 25 points and eight assists to break the longest active team vs. team win streak in the league. The challenge was mighty, particularly considering that Washington lost just ten days ago to San Antonio, even with Spurs starting point guard Tony Parker absent with a hamstring injury. Despite Parker’s return in this game, Wall’s quick ball-handling and consistent long-range jump shots proved to be too much for Parker and teammate/fellow guard Patty Mills.
Washington maintained the lead for the majority of the game, but a lot of offensive rebounds and quick putback shots in the first half allowed the Spurs to sneak right back into it. San Antonio center Boris Diaw scored a hook shot early in the fourth quarter; brought his team their first lead of the evening 76-75 and kicked off a back-and-forth nail biting, lead-swapping battle in the final minutes of the game.
Fans from both teams felt excitement and anxiety with the lead continually switching and so little time remaining. Wizards’ center Kevin Seraphin emerged from off the bench to put a nail in it however, playing with great controlled urgency, dropping several back-to-back baskets and hitting the boards hard for five rebounds. Seraphin really gave Washington the edge in the fourth quarter with his hustle and intense play, scoring 11 and finishing up the night with a season-high 17 points and eight rebounds.
Just one day removed from visiting President Barack Obama at the White House, the 2014 NBA Champions were greeted with an aggressive and relentless quick-tempo Washington team that showed great depth behind point leaders Wall and Seraphin. Shooting guard Bradley Beal and small forward Paul Pierce both hit 13 points, power forward Kris Humphries logged 10; and Rasual Butler (small forward), Marcin Gortat (center) and Nene (power forward) all netted seven points.
The defensive efforts by Washington were formidable as they were able to slow down a talented and quick ball-moving Spurs offense with Wall, Beal, Seraphin, Butler and Humphries all registering crucial shot blocks against San Antonio’s arsenal. Humphries knocked down a particularly memorable block late in the fourth quarter against Parker which brought the Wizards fans up and out of their seats.
On the team’s Fan Night, the Wizards really put on a show and left everything on the court. They truly looked like they were having fun out there as they continue to assert their dominance as an Eastern Conference powerhouse.
